Surprise back yard visitors
 

Went out in the back yard and saw these two critters. Been here 4 years and never knew they were there.

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...on/turtle1.jpg


http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...n/turtle13.jpg

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...on/turtle8.jpg

Not the brightest bulb in the string. Trying to climb over the fence. Eventually found its way back to the pond.
http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...n/turtle15.jpg


Here is the other one. Laying eggs in my veggie garden.
http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...on/turtle4.jpg

This one couldn't find her way out of the garden. Had to scoop her up in a shovel so she didn't flatten all my plants.
http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...n/turtle31.jpg

oh that's so cool.

Turtles are such awesome aminals lol.

superbness

You probably didn't see them because they move like the wind itself.

I've always loved the sight of a tortoise. They seem so phlegmatic and persistent. And such a cool layout :)

trudging, climbing, digging... if those critters could swim and fly as well, turtles/tortoises would be the perfect natural embodiment of the all-terrain vehicle.

Looks like they were nesting in your back yard. Soon you will see a bunch of those, but much smaller!!!

Thank you.



Watched one swim away. Pretty graceful in the water. Not so much so on land.



I hope so.
Saw some painted turtles laying eggs in the yard earlier this week but didn't have the camera handy. Somethings going to hatch this summer.

SO CUTE!!!
I would have likely attempted to kiss one.
Does anyone happen to know the species?

I couldn't find a specific species. The description got it lumped in with generic term "snapping turtle".

The one in the garden was trampling my plants trying to find the way out. Managed to get it on a long handled coal shovel and carried it to the edge of the pond. I was originally trying to pick it up but didn't want to get bit. That thing managed to ring the shovel when it bit at the edge. Weighed about 30 pounds.

I don't think you'd want to try and kiss it. ;)

I hope you will be putting up pics of the babis after they hatch.

It would have to be Chelydra serpentina, the common snapping turtle. It's clearly not an alligator snapping turtle (wrong head shape, shell too smooth), and there's only 2 snapping turtle species in the U.S.
Chelydra.org - Difference between Common and Alligator Snapping Turtle

Aha! Thank you InBoil!

Good to know. I must have had the other type, an alligator snapping turtle when I was younger. I remember putting her into the fish tank one day, going off to Church, and returning later to the spectacle of a floating goldfish head at the tip of the aquarium. I originally interpreted the sight as overfeeding the fish, and I led to its eventual blowuptuation.

For some reason I want to wipe his eyes.. they look so clogged like how can he see?? :paranoid:

These guys are so ugly they're cute! You got great shots of them!

I am glad you didn't send them to a petting zoo. 30 pounds is a lot of snapping turtle. Probably could have bitten the shovel handle in two. Excellent pics.

That is definitly is a snapping turtle builing a nest...they will lay dozens of eggs that look like ping pong balls...and yes they could easily snap a bone in your arm...Not even close to a petting zoo candidate.